Today I did something to my car (volume 2)

wotzgoingon

joujoujou wrote: »

Weird. I see 17.

Same, I counted them yesterday but didn't bother saying anything.

Voodoomelon

Spent a bit of time on the car last night, nothing major, oil and filter change and two new lower control arms to replace.



Got a good deal on 20 litres of Castrol 5W30 on Amazon, shipping was only £14 from Germany. Worked out at about €9.90 a litre. Each oil change is 8 litres so 2.5 services from the tank.









Oil filter is a pain in the ass to get to compared to 4 or 6 cylinder models, it sits right at the back of the block under the car:



BMW TIS for tightening torques. Also used it for the control arms:



About 9,000 miles on this, left it a little later than normal:



First control arm on the driver side took about an hour. Spent an age trying to figure out how to safely detach the xenon auto-leveling sensor:



The bushing end also has to be tightened under load so its takes a while with no ramp.
New arm in:



Opposite side took 20 minutes flat, no sensor on that side.

State of the ball joints, pretty diabolical:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UdK1L0tzjo

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

MetzgerMeister

What were the symptoms of failed ball joint voodoo? I've been getting a kind of crack/pop noise from my two front wheels whenever they go over a bump and I haven't a clue what's wrong but it sounds awful. I'm thinking strut mounts but can't be sure.

Interslice

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Beaut of a car! So much better than a 141 740li i seen today. Horrible looking yolk.

Voodoomelon

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

What were the symptoms of failed ball joint voodoo? I've been getting a kind of crack/pop noise from my two front wheels whenever they go over a bump and I haven't a clue what's wrong but it sounds awful. I'm thinking strut mounts but can't be sure.

Funny enough, it wouldn't surprise me if you had the same problem. Mine was banging and crunching over speed bumps, even at 5mph. Then it failed the NCT a few weeks back, knew it was coming.

You can diagnose it yourself; stick the front end up on axle stands and have someone wiggle the wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock positions, whilst you peer in at the joints with a torch. They essentially shouldn't move at all, mine were moving a good few millimeters in both directions.

lafors

Eventually replaced the oil pressure sensor on the 645 last night. No more oil leak wohoo!

Still have a rough idle though.
I disconnected the maf yesterday, no change. Checked engine roughness screen on inpa and it looks fine. I found out though that the thermostat is stuck open. I was wondering why it was taking an age for the engine to heat up to temperature.
Doubt that's why I've a rough idle but need to sort it.

Do any other BMWs use that thermostat? i.e. is it worth my while checking out breakers yards for a replacement? Any breakers that deal with a lot of BMWs?

Voodoomelon

Would you really use a thermostat from a breakers yard? You're braver man than me!

Replaced mine recently.



Was £43.88exVAT.

Part 11537586885 is found on the following vehicles:

3' F80 M3   (04/2012 — 03/2015)
4' F82 M4   (02/2013 — 03/2015)
4' F83 M4   (06/2013 — 03/2015)
5' E60   (02/2002 — 02/2007)
5' E60 LCI   (11/2005 — 12/2009)
5' E61   (11/2002 — 02/2007)
5' E61 LCI   (11/2005 — 03/2010)
5' F07 GT   (09/2008 — 06/2013)
5' F07 GT LCI   (08/2012 — 03/2015)
5' F10   (01/2009 — 03/2015)
5' F10 LCI   (08/2012 — 03/2015)
5' F11   (09/2010 — 06/2013)
5' F11 LCI   (08/2012 — 03/2015)
6' E63   (05/2002 — 07/2007)
6' E63 LCI   (04/2006 — 07/2010)
6' E64   (09/2002 — 07/2007)
6' E64 LCI   (04/2006 — 07/2010)
6' F06 GC   (06/2011 — 03/2015)
6' F06 GC LCI   (06/2014 — 03/2015)
6' F12   (11/2009 — 02/2015)
6' F12 LCI   (05/2014 — 03/2015)
6' F13   (03/2010 — 02/2015)
6' F13 LCI   (06/2014 — 03/2015)
7' E65   (02/2000 — 07/2008)
7' E66   (06/2000 — 07/2008)
7' E67   (10/2002 — 06/2008)
7' F01   (06/2007 — 06/2012)
7' F01 LCI   (05/2011 — 03/2015)
7' F02   (07/2007 — 06/2012)
7' F02 LCI   (05/2011 — 03/2015)
7' F03   (04/2008 — 05/2012)
7' F03 LCI   (01/2012 — 02/2015)
7' F04 Hyb   (10/2008 — 06/2012)
X5 E53   (01/2003 — 09/2006)
X5 E70   (02/2006 — 06/2013)
X5 E70 LCI   (04/2009 — 06/2013)
X5 F15   (08/2012 — 03/2015)
X5 M F85   (04/2013 — 03/2015)
X6 E71   (01/2007 — 06/2014)
X6 E72 Hyb   (10/2008 — 10/2011)
X6 F16   (09/2013 — 03/2015)
X6 M F86   (10/2013 — 03/2015)
Phantom   (07/2002 — 04/2012)
Phantom Series II   (08/2011 — 03/2015)
Phantom Drophead   (03/2006 — 04/2012)
Phantom Drophead Series II   (09/2011 — 02/2015)
Phantom Coupé   (05/2007 — 03/2012)
Phantom Coupé Series II   (09/2011 — 02/2015)
Ghost   (08/2008 — 03/2015)
Wraith   (11/2012 — 03/2015)

Tony Beetroot

Voodoomelon wrote: »

You can diagnose it yourself; stick the front end up on axle stands and have someone wiggle the wheel at 3 and 9 o'clock positions, whilst you peer in at the joints with a torch. They essentially shouldn't move at all, mine were moving a good few millimeters in both directions.

Yours must have been hanging out of it altogether.

Voodoomelon

They were pretty poor alright. First NCT since I got the car so hadn't it properly tested in that time.

MetzgerMeister

OSI wrote: »

I'd have to ring up asking for a thermostat for my Phantom Coupe Series II, knowing that.

Even though it's the exact same part, you'd probably pay double or triple the price for the pleasure :pac:

GvidoR

I got some car parts... everything you see here for €25



And 2 cans of paint for the bonnet and the grille.



Finally sorted this out. It's been bugging me since day 1.



Boom!



I also have black dials on the cluster.



Before pic:

Noccy_Mondy

GvidoR wrote:

And 2 cans of paint for the bonnet and the grille.

2 cans for the full bonnet and grille? Took me 2 (at a stretch) to do the grille alone on the 206. That was using the same halfords cans.

GvidoR

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

2 cans for the full bonnet and grille? Took me 2 (at a stretch) to do the grille alone on the 206. That was using the same halfords cans.

Hmm, hopefully it'll be enough. I need only a little bit for the grille as most of it will be black.

Noccy_Mondy

GvidoR wrote:

Hmm, hopefully it'll be enough. I need only a little bit for the grille as most of it will be black.

Sure you can always buy another one or two if you run short.

colm_mcm

The white dials are nicer IMO

GvidoR

I prefer the black ones. Especially at night with the green lights on.

Blends in better too.

Interslice

The white ones are nice but look like mivec clocks. Black ones suit the gento better i think.

Black_Knight

But what we all want to know is, did you get new plates?

GvidoR

Oil and filter change on the Astra.

Torx 50 bit needed for the sump plug, if anyone is planning to change oil on an Astra. :P

morritty

Got a full set of Team Heko's today only fitted the fronts for now, waiting until the rears are tinted to fit them up, no pics yet

Interslice

Got stuck into another bit of work.
Pulled apart the ignition system. Cleaned it all down with contact cleaner and put it back together with silicon gel. It was soaked in oil from the rocker cover leak. Parts of the coil pack were suffering a bit of copper corrosion. A light dry dust but there was actually water in one of it!



Sucked out as much oil as i could. Removed the plugs and cleaned down the tunnel and seat for the seal with contact cleaner. Then just hit the starter a few turn to spit it all back out.

Interslice

Changed the timing and the alternator belt and got rid of the air con compressor, it didn't work.

Just a fifteen spanner to release the tension on the alt. belt. A 2 foot long fifteen. Couldn't even budge the thing with a normal one.


Crank pulley was an absolute hoor to get off. Corrosion welded to the crank sprocket!

At tdc you have to lift one of the caps off the 2 cams to fit the locking tools.




Nothing lined up! Cams were out with each other and the crank was off with the cams.

All back together now with a new rocker cover gasket and new coolant.


Gave the engine bay a spruce. Should have taken a before pic as it was manky. Been sort of gradually cleaning it. Took off the heat sheild for a good clean.




Looks well after a wash, wax and polish today. It pulls right through the rev range now. It was kind of like driving a turbo car before. Now you don't even notice the variator kicking it and the power is smoother in gereral. I could actually feel from turning the engine by hand that the compression had improved after sorting the belt.

nd

Bought myself a rotary polisher during the week. First thing I tested it on where the headlights.

Worked very well with carplan rubbing compound.

GvidoR

No before pic / 10

:pac:

nd

Nope, I'd gotten it a little better in stages. I've no pic of them originally. I still plan on lacquering them. But want to take out the lights to do that.

bmstuff

Digital TV tuner with OEM video interface emulator so you can change channels using the steering wheel buttons
Remote control functions are accessible from the iDrive too.

Interslice

Why do people want TV's in their car? Is it for kids in the back or something?

GvidoR

The kids would need binoculars. :pac:

pablo128

Interslice wrote: »

Why do people want TV's in their car? Is it for kids in the back or something?

Passengers maybe? I think there are some screens which can be seen by the passenger side but not the drivers side. I know what you're getting at though.